Elon Musk's Trump hunch? Landmark climate deal is safe

Elon Musk met with President Donald Trump at the White House in January.

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Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk is "cautiously optimistic" that President Donald Trump will keep the US in a landmark climate-change agreement struck in Paris in 2015.

"I spoke directly with The President three weeks ago about Paris. Many others have too. Cautiously optimistic of a positive decision," he said in a tweet late Monday.

Part of Trump's economic advisory council, Musk is known to have direct contact with the president despite having criticized him as a candidate. Following calls for Musk to step down from the group, he defended his decision to remain, saying direct dialogue with the president was important to accelerate "the world's transition to sustainable energy and to help make humanity a multi-planet civilization."